For Her Sake
by MusicRocks807
Summary: Crash and Eddie hear some mean kids say some nasty things about their sister, and decide to finally ask their mother why Ellie looks so different... Set when they're younger, please R&R :) A happy birthday present to Seann William Scott XD


**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Ice Age. But I own DVDs of it, if that counts... Yeah, didn't think so.**

Ellie had always been... different.

She never really fit in all that well - quite literally, as she was fully aware she was a good deal bigger than the other possum kids. It felt awkward and embarrassing even though she was still only little, but she moved past it because she still had fun playing.

There were quite a few possum kids she liked, since they were all so mischievous and lively and fun, but her no-doubt favourite playmates were her two brothers, Crash and Eddie. Crash obviously wasn't his real name, but he had gained the nickname very quickly when it became apparent how prone he was to... well, crashing. And anyway, Carl never suited him to begin with. It was the same with 'Edward' - No matter how hard he tried, he would always be the goofy Eddie she knew and loved. Winona, their mother, was somewhat disappointed at first that they didn't grow out of their hey-that-looks-fun-oh-no-we-broke-something faze, but she had long since accepted their crazy personalities, and couldn't imagine things any other way.

Now, Ellie was playing a game of tag with a sizeable group of young possums. She was oblivious to her size difference for the moment, just charging around and leaping out of the reach of a possum currently entitled "It", shrieking and laughing with the others. Crash appeared alongside her after a few seconds, chuckling.

"Hey, Ellie," he laughed, scampering on all fours. "Having fun?"

"Well, duh!" she giggled, her voice high-pitched and full of life. "This is my favourite game!"

"Me too!" Crash decided, looking up at her. "It's awesome!"

Ellie grinned, glancing away from her brother and surveying the area. "I know, it- Crash, watch out!"

"For wha- GAH!"

Out of nowhere, Eddie had come running up, heading in the opposite direction. As neither had been paying attention, he had ploughed straight into Crash, sending both tumbling backwards with headaches. Ellie skidded to a halt, shouting for a time-out as she raced back to where her brothers lay in a heap.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked worriedly.

Crash only groaned in response, while Eddie muttered. "Yeah, we're fine."

"Speak for yourself..." mumbled Crash, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Maybe you guys should sit out for a bit?" suggested Annie, one of their friends and the 'leader' of the group. "Y'know, let the headaches wear off."

Eddie tried to nod, before wincing in pain. Ellie smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Come on, boys. Annie, lend me a paw?"

Ellie picked up Eddie with her trunk, while Annie guided Crash to his paws. The two girls led the twins over to the sidelines of the field, where a selection of other possum kids were gathered to chat, and set them both down on a grassy knoll.

"Just join in whenever you feel ready, 'kay?" Annie gently rubbed the back of Crash's head.

"Okay..." he murmured weakly, blinking slowly.

Ellie softly pecked Eddie's sore head with her trunk. "But not until you're sure you're ready!"

Eddie gave a little smirk. "Got it, sis."

Annie and Ellie returned to the game, confirming that the time-out was over, and immediately the chasing resumed. Crash and Eddie watched from the edge, slightly bummed out that they couldn't play, but still feeling the ache of the collision in their skulls. Nearby, two other possum girls were whispering just loud enough for the boys to hear.

"Ugh, what is wrong with that girl?"

"I don't even know... Why does she hang around with all us possums?"

"Apparently, she thinks she _is _one!" Evil giggling.

A shocked gasp. "No way!"

"Uh-huh! She lives with those two idiots that ran into each-other, I think."

"Um, ew."

"I know right? Gross!"

More laughing. "Ha ha, she is such a freak."

The twins looked at each-other, confused. Ellie wasn't a freak! So she looked a little - maybe a lot - different to the other possums, but that didn't mean she wasn't one! She was their family, so she _must _be their sister... Right?

* * *

><p>A few hours later, just as the sun was beginning to rise, the three kids traipsed back to their home; an partially-underground, spacious cave. Winona greeted each of her children with a kiss on the cheek, before ushering Ellie off to the lake down the path to wash up before dinner.<p>

"You go on ahead, Ellie," she ordered, turning to the twins, "I need to have a word with the boys about watching where you're going."

Ellie smirked, whispered a "You're in trouble!" to her brothers, and scurried out of the cave. Both boys smiled sheepishly, hoping to play the 'adorable' card and avoid severe punishment.

Winona sighed. "Boys, how many times have I told you to be careful?"

"As many times as we haven't?" offered Eddie meekly.

"Around three million, then," she summarised, though the playful smirk on her lips assured the twins that a grounding wasn't in order. "Look, boys, you really have to watch out. You guys were out at night, so you don't have to worry about the vultures, but... there are other dangers, and I'm sca- I'm _cautious _that you aren't seeing them."

"Sorry, mom," they droned in unison.

"I'm not looking for an apology," she informed them. "I want you two to understand that while you should have fun, you also need to stay safe. Alright?"

"Alright," they agreed, nodding.

Winona smiled. "Good. Now go on down to the lake and meet your sister."

The duo began walking out, until they both froze in place, remembering what they had heard. "Hey, mom?" inquired Crash, turning back around. "Is... Is Ellie... really our sister?"

She blinked, stunned. "Of course she is, Crash. She's my daughter, and your sister. We're a family."

"But she doesn't look like us," pointed out Eddie.

"She doesn't need to!" snapped Winona. "We are a family, and that is that! Love defines a family, not appearance!"

"Okay! Sorry!" squeaked both boys, hurrying out of the den in surrender.

Reluctantly, Winona sighed. She wasn't being a good mother keeping this from them. "Wait, boys."

The twins stopped at the entrance and winced, expecting punishment.

"Look..." she drew in a deep breath, "a few years ago, there was a blizzard. We - the three of us - took shelter under a large willow tree."

"What about Ellie?"

"Eddie, I'm getting to that," Winona chastised. "When we were under that tree, a baby... mammoth showed up. She curled up at the foot of the tree and cried. I hung down to speak to her, with you boys on my shoulders. She told me that she'd lost her family in the storm, and that she was alone and scared. I offered her a place in our family, and she accepted. That night, as the four of us cuddled together under the tree, I asked what her name was."

"What was it?" exclaimed Crash eagerly, before adding, "And what's a mammoth?"

Ignoring his second question, Winona said, "She told me her name was Eloise."

For a moment, the two boys just stood there, processing the information and staring into space. Winona noted bitterly that this was the longest they had ever stayed in one place for since they could move.

Finally, Crash spoke up. "So... Where's Eloise now?"

"She's washing up at the lake for dinner, honey," stated Winona, feeling anxious.

"With Ellie?" guessed Eddie innocently.

"...No, dear." She put on her warmest smile, hoping to ease them into the revelation.

"But you said Eloise was at the lake, and Ellie's at the lake..." mused Crash.

"How are they not there together?" Eddie tilted his head to the side.

She heaved a heavy sigh. "Kids... Ellie _is_ Eloise. She's adopted."

After a good couple of minutes of explanation about what 'adopted' meant, Crash and Eddie were both shocked beyond belief. Which was, all things considered, understandable. They had just learned that their sister not only held no blood link to them, but was actually an entirely different species, after all.

"Now..." Winona bit her lip. "We don't mention this to anyone, okay guys?"

"Why not?" asked Eddie.

"Because I don't want Ellie to feel like she doesn't belong with us," explained Winona. "She's a true member of our family, regardless of her species, and I want her to feel like it. When I think she can handle it, I'll tell her the truth myself, but... for now, let's just leave her be. She isn't ready to know this yet."

"And we are?" Crash folded his arms, a doubtful expression on his face.

She nodded. "Yes. I think you are."

Nervously, she held out her arms for a hug. The boys seemed hesitant at first, but right as she was about to give up, the twins moved forward into her embrace. She sat there, holding her two remarkable sons, feeling an utter swirl of pride swelling in her chest. Both of the boys were still a little surprised, but they knew that this didn't change anything. Having anticipated this kind of moment, Winona had made sure that all her children understood that it was love that truly linked animals as a family, and those teachings were deeply woven into their personalities.

Wiping away tears she hadn't realised she was shedding, Winona leaned back. "So, we understand that this is kept a secret between us, right?"

"Right!" chorused the boys, smiling kindly. "For Ellie's sake."

"For her sake," agreed Winona, a watery smile gracing her lips.

Eddie raised a paw in questioning. "But we can still ask you questions when nobody's around, can't we?"

She thought it over, before shrugging. "As long as we're alone, I don't see why not."

"How big do mammoths grow?"

"Do they normally go out in the day?"

"Why do mammoths have so much fur?"

Winona chuckled to herself. Her boys definitely hadn't changed.

* * *

><p><strong>OMG HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEANN WILLIAM SCOTT! That was legitimately the first thing I wrote in my journal this morning (yes, I keep a journal shut up :P). At least, I'm pretty sure it's his birthday... If it's not, I've just thoroughly humiliated myself, haven't I? 0_0<strong>

**Oh, well. Anyway, I thought of this a while ago watching IA 2 with my dad, and only got around to finishing it now, with the (hopefully not false) motivation that it was Crash's VA's birthday. But yeah, I just kind of wondered whether Crash and Eddie knew that Ellie wasn't a possum, and then... this happened. Heh :) So, thanks for reading and please review!**

**Just Wikipedia'd it: his birthday is today! Phew. I've been going around dead excited all day :') **


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